May 20, 2014

The Best Sidewalk Chalk Paint - Recipe for Play

I am bursting with excitement over this new sidewalk chalk paint recipe! It's safe to say we are obsessed with making sidewalk chalk paint. Who can blame us? A recipe for play that is easy to make, provides hours of entertainment, and washes away clean with just water? Yes please! If I had one teeny, tiny complaint about sidewalk chalk paint, it's that it's hard to spread. We've had the most luck using foam brushes or filling squeezy bottles with the paint, but I am thrilled to tell you that I've discovered a brand new sidewalk chalk recipe that spreads easily with a paintbrush, produces vibrant colors, and it only calls for two ingredients. By the way, one of those ingredients is water. Have I mentioned I'm excited?

How to Make Sidewalk Chalk Paint

We've had the best results with this paint when we let it sit for awhile and thicken before painting. I suggest making it in the morning before breakfast to paint after you eat or before lunch to use in the afternoon. There isn't a set time. Even without waiting, the paint is still gorgeous and vibrant. It's just a bit watery, as shown below.

If you wait a bit too long and have super thick paint, just add a teeny bit of water and stir. It's a pretty flexible recipe, so really, you can't go wrong.

The chalk paint washes away with water and also washes out of clothing easily. If you have any concerns test a small area of painting before painting to be safe. Here are my best laundry tips to keep clothes bright and stain free.

I know I already mentioned it, but I can't get over how easily the paint spreads with a regular paint brush. I love it!

I'm also in awe at how vibrant the colors are when dry. (Most of this is dry. You can see where it's still a bit wet in the darker sections.) Sidewalk chalk and sidewalk chalk paint tends to be pastel when dry, but this recipe is bright and vibrant. It's so gorgeous! I'll admit I painted a bit without my kids yesterday, and of course my neighbor chose that moment to drive up.

To make the sidewalk chalk paint simply mix crushed chalk with a small amount of water. I've never measured. I add the water slowly until I'm happy with the consistency. Allow it to thicken for a little while, and then the paint is ready to go! This recipe can be stored in an airtight container without going bad, although we tend to use all of ours in one sitting, mainly because my twin toddlers end up pouring it out onto the pavement.